Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

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An instructor of mine (I'm in another state) stated that she recently went to a national educators conference and that they were saying that within the next several years in NY it would be mandatory to have your BSN. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

I think it will eventually come to that, the BSN I mean, but any ASN nurses would be grandfathered in. There are two many of us for them to just give us our pink slips because of no BSN.

I would love to go back to school, but I cannot afford it. If I could afford to work only part time, AND go to school, that might be doable. I may be only 46, but I feel my age now in a way that I didn't at 36. Can't imagine working and going to school. :down:

Blessings

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Babs- have you checked into any local ASN-BSN programs? There are a lot of them out there now that you can attend 1 day a week full time.

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Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.
Babs- have you checked into any local ASN-BSN programs? There are a lot of them out there now that you can attend 1 day a week full time.

Unfortunately, I still couldn't afford it. My employer pays for only 50% tuition and then only after the semester is over. So I would have to pay upfront, and I just couldn't swing it financially. Taking out loans makes no sense, as BSN's really don't make any more than ASN's, at least in the majority of employers. I make too much for financial aid.

But, for someone else, this may be a great idea, so I'm glad you mentioned it.

Blessings

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
A Diploma in nursing is a dead end career. You have no college credit to further your education. ADNs at least are half way there.

This generalization is not universally true. There are 8 diploma programs within a 50-mile radius of me, including the school of which I am a proud graduate. All of them partner with a local college or university (and interestingly, it's not the community colleges, because they have their own ADN programs) to provide the non-nursing classes in the curriculum (A&P, micro, etc.) taught by college/university faculty. Credit for the classes is awarded by the college/university. Every RN-BSN program I investigated also awarded 40-50 credits for the nursing courses completed in my diploma program; hence, I began my RN-BSN program on equal footing with ADN graduates, a little more than "half way there".

As I have stated many times before, the law of supply and demand is against us when there are so many new grads come out out of school looking for jobs.

PTs, OTs, are all happy that they are now a graduate level entry into practice. Now tell me, why in earth does a Physical Therapist need a doctorate as entry into practice? What possible benefit is there to the patient? I have never heard of a PT killing someone by exercising them too much, or an incorrect exercise harming a patient. Why then did they go to a doctorate? Too keep there numbers low, and keep themselves in demand. PT ASSISTANTS have an Associates degree as entry into practice. That should tell you something right there. A higher level of education distinguishes you from the lower level of practitioners in your field. A BSN carries alot more weight than an Associates degree or a diploma. It is a far higher stretch for a hospital to tell the public that a PT Assistant with an Associates degree delivers the same level of care than a Physical Therapist with a doctorate. They are then harder to replace with a lesser educated individual.

In nursing, we look like we are a dime a dozen. And that ANYONE CAN DO OUR JOB. I never thought that I would see the day when nurses aides were passing meds ANYPLACE! But here they are in our nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

It is all about perception. If the public thinks that educated nurses are worth the money, they will demand them over a nurses aide. But we have to educate the public that we are worth it. How does it look to the public that we have only two years of education, LPNs only one? We look like we are easily interchangeable with lesser educated workers. And rest assured, hospitals are going to capitalize on that as the baby bomer population ages and needs more care. We have to demand our piece of tha pie before we ar cut out and eliminated from the pie. You can count on it.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

I agree with you on these points.

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To BBFRN, You are so right, but how in God's name do we do it? I am in no way going to get involved in a union. Socialized medicine is a nightmare. Just live in England and you can see the devastation. A lobby group would fit my bill, just look how they help the real estate profession. Realtors have the largest lobby group in the country and they are WELL PROTECTED!! In my opinion, we need help from the outside. Nurses will never be able to do it on their own. I could be wrong and I stand to be corrected.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
To BBFRN, You are so right, but how in God's name do we do it? I am in no way going to get involved in a union. Socialized medicine is a nightmare. Just live in England and you can see the devastation. A lobby group would fit my bill, just look how they help the real estate profession. Realtors have the largest lobby group in the country and they are WELL PROTECTED!! In my opinion, we need help from the outside. Nurses will never be able to do it on their own. I could be wrong and I stand to be corrected.

I hear you, Oakbourne. I've never worked in a union facility myself. I think if we begin by advocating for ourselves individually, and our fellow nurses that work alongside us, we can affect change on a small level. Collectively, that would pan out on a larger scale eventually. I think I've only felt powerless in my career twice. Both times, I took matters into my own hands and did something about it. That empowered me to not end up in the same situations again, or at least to spot trouble before it grew into something larger. I think knowing your worth as a nurse (whether you're a LPN, ASN, BSN, etc.) is a good start. Once you realize your worth, it does trickle upwards, and people take notice. We all have something to add in the way of creative solutions. If I ever have a complaint about something in the status quo, I try to come up with an idea for a solution before I bring it up to higher-ups. At least if I do take the trouble to do that, I know I may be taken more seriously than if I just expect the higher-ups to solve the problem.

Or, it could be that leadership course I took in my BSN program.

Just kidding...:rotfl: ;)

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Snoopd is right, especially when it comes to what abbreviations get you. Hats off to snoopd to realize those abbreviations are used only for marketing purposes and not for a higher regard for nursing. If you want to see how much CEO's value nursing just take a look at the money spent on lobbies that look like high class hotels, the push for higher educated nurses to achieve magnet status which truly is nothing but a marketing ploy. I would go a step further and say as nurses to become empowered we need to unionize. I was never much of a fan of unions but lately as I see "our leaders" selling us out to CEO's I'm a firm believer that without unions we will continue to be at the bottom of the pool.

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I'm also a flight attendant and to point out one of the professions that clock in and out--I work with many pilots who are highly skilled professionals. They clock in and out. The top-paid captains can earn $250 per hour

I'm an independent contractor and I clock in and out at one of my jobs (I log my time at the other clinic). Guess what, I get paid far more than their full time, salaried NP and I do a lot less work on top of it! Based on time spent at the job (she takes call, etc), she makes almost HALF as much as I make. BTW, I was offered a fulltime, salaried position there and I refused...why would I want to do more work for less pay? I don't have a problem clocking in and out, but I do have a problem keeping track of my time card!

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Specializes in ER, Outpatient PACU and School Nursing.
THere is a serious shortage of RNs... any RNs...willing to work in NYC. Lets just limit it to those with a Bachelor's degree and watch them drown in a sea of understaffing.

same way down here in Fla. I seriously dont think they can do it. I personally have no desire either unless it comes to that. I keep up on continuing education. There really is no motivation for me to fork out more money for nothing. Its not like the hospital is going to pay me more for it either. I was lucky to get grandfathered in for my acls and tncc prior to the union contract years ago. Im seeing alot of younger nurses coming in and continuing their education and thats great for them. Most of them are desiring to become a NP- that is a job here that is oversaturated right now. Im happy with my work and with independent contracting work on the side- I make more per hour than the NP with almost zero liability. My family comes first so taking time away from them is another compromise Im not willing to make so unless it comes to that- I will be very content with RN after my name..

A higher level of education distinguishes you from the lower level of practitioners in your field. A BSN carries alot more weight than an Associates degree or a diploma

you seriously believe that? My patients dont care what initials come after my name on my name tab only that they are getting excellent nursing care with compassion. I work with nurses with all different degrees and we are all treated as equals not differently because of it..

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Your kidding yourself if you think a BSN carries more weight then any other form of nursing education. Afterall didn't we all pass the same boards?

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Your kidding yourself if you think a BSN carries more weight then any other form of nursing education. Afterall didn't we all pass the same boards?

Try getting into grad school with just your NCLEX.

Of course, a BSN carries more weight.

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Your kidding yourself if you think a BSN carries more weight then any other form of nursing education. Afterall didn't we all pass the same boards?

Give the average high school student a couple of weeks to study and THEY can pass the NCLEX. This doesn't say much for that exam. However, let's ALL take advanced pathophysiology and all those upper college level courses and then the playing field will be level for RN's.

Oh, don't tell me how it takes an ADN or diploma nurse to be proficient in performing technical procedures...I could train a CNA to start an IV or insert a foley in a couple of hours! I've even seen a MA suture and she does it better than me and most docs I know. Her boss had a movement disorder, so she had to learn how to suture. It doesn't take advanced education to perform these skills folks, MA's go to trade school for 9 months and CNA's 6 weeks!

The NCLEX should include more patho, pharmacology (drug to drug interactions is a biggie), anatomy, chemistry, microbiology, etc. Same thing for those NP exams. And get rid of those stupid nursing diagnoses...thank God we don't use those in advanced nursing!

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